Michael Owen Baker / Staff Photographer
Marqise Lee, seen making a leaping catch at USC’s pro day in March, could go anywhere in the first to second round of this week's NFL draft, which begins Thursday in New York.

USC wide receiver Marqise Lee always was the answer for the Trojans’ offense in 2012, but it seems like only questions surround the junior heading into Thursday’s NFL draft.

Lee suffered injuries that hampered his 2013 season but said he is 100 percent and ready to enjoy the festivities with the other prospects in New York this week.

But on the eve of the draft, some experts have questioned his stock. NFL draft guru Mike Mayock dropped him from the No. 2-ranked wide receiver after the season to a tie for fifth.

“Marqise Lee has been a favorite of mine from Day 1,” Mayock said. “But what I’m sensing right now with the depth in this wide receiver class, not only is he coming off a year when his numbers are down and I don’t really care about that. Inconsistent play at quarterback. He was banged up a little bit.

“He’s got average size at 5-11, 190, he’s got average speed at 4.5 He does have return skills. He has some make-you-miss. But in a draft that’s so full of dynamic talent at the top, I’m hearing late one to early two for him.”

Those comments might faze some players, but Lee’s optimism was a trademark the past three seasons at USC. His happy-go-lucky attitude persisted even while analysts raised doubts.

Instead of disappearing like many prospects to work out for the draft, Lee attended USC’s spring scrimmage and has been a frequent visitor on campus.

“I don’t really think anything’s changed with me,” Lee said. “The scouts saw me (in 2012) and they saw me (in 2013). The only real difference was being hurt. But if they saw the Vegas Bowl, they saw I was fully recovered.”

Lee caught seven passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns in his final game for USC. It probably was the first time he resembled the player who won the Biletnikoff Award in 2012. But Lee’s junior year was full of distractions and bad luck.

He injured his shoulder during training camp while making a catch. Just after he recovered, he was pummeled on a punt return against Arizona State and he suffered a Grade 2 sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his left knee. There initially were fears Lee tore knee ligaments, but he missed only one game despite being less than 100 percent.

It also didn’t help that Lee experienced the drama of Lane Kiffin’s final season. Early on, Lee said USC held a players-only meeting the day after a game. This contradicted Kiffin, who said Lee was “a little flustered” speaking to reporters and made a mistake.

A few days later, Lee said, “C’mon, I’ve been dealing with you guys forever. I don’t get nervous.”

Lee’s team-first attitude also should be widely known by NFL teams. When USC got fined $25,000 by the Pacific-12 Conference after it deflated footballs for quarterback Matt Barkley during the Oregon game, Kiffin tried to diffuse the topic by saying Lee would make his debut at safety.

Lee, always up for a challenge, lined up for a play at safety despite barely practicing at the spot.

NFL teams want Lee exclusively on offense and special teams.

“He’s one of those guys teams will look at so much, they try to find something wrong,” said an assistant coach for an AFC South Division team, who was not authorized to speak about Lee. “But he will make a team happy. Scouts can question his speed, but if you look at the film his quickness was his forte. How many times did the first guy miss him after a catch?

“He’s not perfect. He’s got some things he needs to work on, like pass routes. But if you talk to coaches he played for, they love him. He was a team guy.”

Lee is projected to be drafted anywhere from 16th to 31st in the draft. And if he surpasses some of the receivers ranked ahead of him, it will not be the first time. He was known more for being a safety at Serra High School in Gardena and Kiffin did not contact him for months during his junior year despite Lee’s desire to go to USC.

The Trojans offered a scholarship only after former assistant coach Kennedy Polamalu visited Serra and watched film of Lee. Polamalu then begged Kiffin to take Lee. Less than a week into Lee’s first USC training camp, his star power was detectable as he routinely made big plays in practice.

“I know I’m ready for the next step,” Lee said. “You always hear comments about how good you are, but I can’t wait to come (to a team) and get it going.”